Category: reflections

‘You must be born again’

Intrigued Peter Rollins’ post.

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I’ve mentioned here before that I think there may be something more than just a simple prayer or 4 spiritual laws.

When I hear “You must be born again” it really does sound like a new creation. It really does sound like you become a pacifistic because you’re a violent son of a gun, you build bridges towards a new humanity rather than building walls to further divide and you throw off the old wine skins in place of new fresh wine and wine skins.

It may not mean entering the womb again physically, but I think it has a lot to do with dying to ourselves and giving, loving and serving others.

Get on Your Boots

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U2.com has just published the lyrics to U2’s new single, Get on Your Boots.

Haven’t heard it yet? As of today, you can still listen to the full song online at http://goyb.u2.com/.

Loving the song. Instrumentally I think its a great mix of Elevation, Vertigo and The Fly. And lyrically its inspiring as well. It’s one of those great classic U2 lyrics where they can take on several different meanings.

And I love these two lines ::

Night is falling everywhere / Rockets at the fun fair / Satan loves a bomb scare / But he won’t scare you…
Here’s where we gotta be / Love and community / Laughter is eternity / If joy is real

While the song is supposed to be released on Feb 15th for download, you can download it from iTunes today (in the US at least).

Can’t wait till March 3rd (March 2nd US) when the six different versions of the full album, No Line on the Horizon, are released ::

  • Standard jewel case – with album CD and 24 page booklet
  • Digipak format – limited edition with album CD, 32 page colour booklet and fold out poster. Features access to exclusive downloadable Anton Corbijn film.
  • Magazine format – limited edition with album CD, with 64 page magazine. Features access to exclusive downloadable Anton Corbijn film.
  • Box format – limited edition bespoke box containing digipak format album CD, DVD of Anton Corbijn’s exclusive film, 64 page hardback book, plus a fold out poster. (currently on pre-order sale for $66 as opposed to $95)
  • LP vinyl – limited edition with 2 black vinyl discs, gatefold sleeve, and a 16 page booklet.
  • Special edition digital download version (I’ve only seen this mentioned on iTunes so far).

So here’s what you’re really waiting for – the lyrics to Get on You Boots ::

The future needs a big kiss
Winds blows with a twist
Never seen a moon like this
Can you see it too?

Night is falling everywhere
Rockets at the fun fair
Satan loves a bomb scare
But he won’t scare you

Hey, sexy boots
Get on your boots, yeah

You free me from the dark dream
Candy floss ice cream
All our kids are screaming
But the ghosts aren’t real

Here’s where we gotta be
Love and community
Laughter is eternity
If joy is real

You don’t know how beautiful
You don’t know how beautiful you are
You don’t know, and you don’t get it, do you?
You don’t know how beautiful you are

That’s someone’s stuff they’re blowing up
We’re into growing up
Women of the future
Hold the big revelations

I got a submarine
You got gasoline
I don’t want to talk about wars between nations

Not right now

Hey sexy boots…
Get on your boots, yeah
Not right now
Bossy boots

You don’t know how beautiful
You don’t know how beautiful you are
You don’t know, and you don’t get it, do you?
You don’t know how beautiful you are

Hey sexy boots
I don’t want to talk about the wars between the nations
Sexy boots, yeah

Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Meet me in the sound

Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound, now
God, I’m going down
I don’t wanna drown now
Meet me in the sound

Let me in the sound

Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Meet me in the sound

Get on your boots
Get on your boots
Get on your boots
Yeah hey hey

Finally, read what Dave Fanning has to say about the new song and the new album…

First impressions is that there’s eleven tracks on the album and ‘Get On Your Boots’ is the one you’d instantly say is the single. It’s the ‘Vertigo’ of the album – although a completely different kind of song. That was a new song which was an instant hit night after night on the last tour and this song will be the same on the next tour. People will be impressed, it’s very U2 and there’ s nothing wrong with that, a big song with lots of layers but not overproduced. Great track.

Heather’s story

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I’d love to share this story at some point as part of our actual podcast but I figure — why wait? It’s already out there for everyone to listen to, download, listen, share it and talk about it. It’s worth it.

Pastor Ryan shares ::

Our God is a God of Justice and I believe once we understand that, we will no longer be okay with the things that aren’t okay…

…Another thing that’s been pressing on me lately is just how relentless God is. He wants us and He will stop at nothing to reach us. So often our arms are jammed so tightly into our sides that we won’t let Him embrace us, but He doesn’t quit. He doesn’t give up on us. Ever.

That was evident with Heather’s story as she shared it with our body last weekend.

Download the Mp3 file

[audio:http://www.vineyardwestside.com/podcasts/HeatherStory.mp3]

One body. One flesh. One new humanity.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Eph 2:14-16

The old becomes new

Day 39: 02-08-08

Shaun Groves has an amazing blog. If you’re not follow it – you should be. Monday he wrote a post that shook me. It took my ideas of pacifism and really made me rethink my ideas — and more importantly God’s ideas.

Shaun quotes theologian Stanley Hauerwas ::

“I’m a pacifist because I’m a violent son of a bitch.”

What in the world?

Let’s look at that again….

“I’m a pacifist because I’m a violent son of a bitch.”

OK. Really, its OK to go back and read that a couple more times. Think on it. Chew on it. Wrestle with it.

Shaun writes that while he doesn’t particularly care for his choice of words but he’s a big fan of Stanley’s honesty.

His brief explanation gets directly to one of the most convincing (at least for me) reasons I, a follower of Christ, must embrace non-violence: I am, by nature, violent.

He continues…

I am sinful so I must embrace virtue.

To be more specific…

I lust after women who are not my wife, so I must embrace monogamy.

I covet your cell phone and your neighborhood and your jeans, so I must embrace simplicity.

I lie to get a laugh or make my life easier, so I must embrace honesty.

I think I’m smarter than you, so I must embrace humility.

I need to be in control, so I must embrace submission.

I’m a loner, so I must embrace community.

I want to ruin your name, so I must embrace forgiveness.

I want to be served, so I must embrace service.

And I want to harm when I’m harmed, so I must embrace non-violence.

As Christians aren’t we called to put away the selfish and old way of doing things? Aren’t we called to take part in this upside down Kingdom of God?

Isn’t the Kingdom of God really about the great reversal? Where the last will be first and the first will be last? Isn’t the Kingdom of God really about serving the meek and loving our enemies — no matter how many times they’ve hurt us or ignored us in the past?

The sinful nature of mankind is often cited in arguments against Christian non-violence. Violence, it’s said, is sometimes necessary to slow or even stop sin’s march across the world.

Mankind’s nature? What about my own?

Non-violence stops my sinful nature’s march from within me into the world. Into your world.

I’m a pacifist because I know who I really am.

What about you?